Oar couplina



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. 1 l* K 2 Sheet-,s-Sheeis 1.

' W. H. ROBINSON.

- CAB GOUPLING.

Y Patented Feb. 20, 1894. A

-gmwl (NoMoael) A y z'sheets-sheenzf W. H.; ROBINSON.

GAR GOUPLING. N0. 514,964.l 'Patented Peb. 20, 1894.

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IUNITED VSTATES .PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. ROBINSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

oAnfcoupLlNe.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 514,964, dated February20, 1894.

Application iiled February 21, 1893l Serial No. 463,274. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of New York, in the State of New York,have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Oar-Coup'lings, of which the following is a specification.

My coupling is of that class in which the engagement is effected by ahook carried on each car, swinging laterally and actuated by a springwhich tends to hold it in engagement wit-h the hook of a similarcoupling of the next car, which I will term the opposite car. I provideeach hook with a housing which protects the hook and guides it inrelation with the opposite coupling in effecting an engagement, andafterward holds it properly conditioned either for continuing engaged orfor being drawn outward and disengaged. I provide a spring-catch whichwhen the parts are adjusted for uncoupling may hold any hook back out ofuse. It the cars are not immediately drawn apart, my catch will hold thehook in the position for uncoupl-ing for any length of time. I providethat the act of drawing the cars apart whenever it is performed shalldisengage the catch and set the hook free, ready to be again engagedwith the corresponding hook of a similar coupling in any car onpresenting the parts'together.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification andrepresent'what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.O

Figure 1 is a plan view of one of the couplings engaged. Fig. 2 is acorresponding horizontal section. I Fig. 3 is a corresponding sideelevation. Fig. 4-is a horizontal section of a portion on a largerscale. Fig. 5 is an end view of a box oar provided with my coupling,showingthemeans for operating the hook from the ground and also from thetop of the car.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theiigures where they appear. l

A is the end of a draw-bar, which may be equipped with the ordinarysprings for yielding elastically both to pulling and pushing strains,and maybe strongly pinned to the car in any ordinary manner, andsupported by the ordinary'stirrup, for allowing lateral motion ofthis-draw-bar and for limiting the extent of such motion.

The couplings are counterparts of each other, and a description of onewill suttice for both.

B is the housing or coupling-head, certain.

parts being designated, when necessary, by super-numerals, as B. Thishead-has two arms; the longest and main arm is marked B', the shortest,B2. These arms extend out substantially parallel each with the other.The head is knuckled to the draw-bar A by means of a pin C with libertyto swing laterally to a small extent. The outer end ot the long arm B isprovided with a holev b which may receive an ordinary coupling-pin, andmay serve to couple the car, when necessary, to another car equippedwith the ordinarycoupling-head. This mode of coupling uses an ordinarylink and attains the ordinary ends. It is only to be resorted to inemergencies. Under all ordinary conditions the devices described beloware used, and the'holes b are of no effect.

DD, is a swinging hook pivoted to the coupling-head near the inner endby a stout pin E. It is capable of being drawn outward or away from thecentral line into a sufcient pocket b in the long arm B', and is urgedinward or toward the center line of the coupling by a spring F. It maybedrawn outward into the pocket by means of a cord or rope K, which ispreferably a wire rope. The hook D, D', is prevented from ever swingingtoo far inward by the engagement. of its end with a sufficiently stoutstop BS formed on the inner face of the arm B at the outer edge of therecess or pocket b.

H, H', H2, is a small bell-crank lever pivoted to the long arm B at h,and subject to the force of a spring I mounted in a recess in thehousing (see Figs. 2 and 4t). This lever swings horizontally in amortise in the arm B. The end H which extends inward is catch-formed,and the end H2 which extends rearward is slotted and receives a pin Pfitted in an arm P which is riveted to a curved spring M which is iittedin a shallow recess on the outer face of the arm B. The ends of thespring M are free to slide longitudinally in the shallow recess as thespring is flattened by the pressure of the arm B of the oppositecoupling, and are guided by the sides of the recess in the obviousmanner, and also by studs B5 which are set in the arm B and are receivedin longitudinal slots m provided in the sprin The curved slot h2 in thearm I'l2 receives the pin P' and enables the latter pin to exert a forcewhen required to turn the lever H and disengage its coupling Il'. Theslot provides sufficient lost motion to allow the lever ll to work underthe control of its gentle spring l when required. The catch Il' isadapted to engage with a pin D2 (see Fig. 2) which eX- tends verticallythrough a sufficient cavity (l in the back of the hook D. When the twocoupling-heads are drawn apart, the short arm B2 of each head beingdrawn away releases the spring M of the oppositev coupling-head, andsuch spring immediately turns its lever Il on its pivot 7L and causesits catch Il to release its hold on the pin D2 in its hook D, D', ifsuch have been previously engaged, and when thus liberated the spring Fforces the hook D, D', into its innermost position, that shown in stronglines in Figs. l and 2, ready to engage again with the correspondinghook of the same or anothersimilarcoupling-head.

When two of my coupling-heads are moved together to be coupled, thehooks D are always inward in their working positions. Thus conditioned,the act of bringing the couplingheads together will present the beveledfaces of these hooks to each other so as to force each hook outward orbackward partially in to its pocket, but by reason of the fact that eachhook performs a part of the necessary movemeut neither is compelled tomove so faroutward as to be engaged bvits respective catch H'. Themovement effects the couplingaction, because so soon as the points ofthehooks D, D', have passed each other, each is promptly moved inward bythe force of its spring F and engaged, each hook D, D', with thecorresponding hook of the opposite coupling. It follows that thepresentation of two couplings to each other will cause their stout hooksD, D', to effectively and firmly engage together. They may remainstrongly coupled for any period.

When it is desired to uncouple the cars, the attendant pulls on the ropeK of either coupling and draws the corresponding hook D, D', outward. Ifthe cars are not drawn apart immediately, the spring-catch Il' performsan important duty by engaging with the corresponding hook D, D', by itspin D2 and holds such hook for any required period out of use. VVheueverunder such conditions the cars are drawn apart, they are allowed toseparate.

An important duty is performed by the short arm B2, that of flatteningthe spring M and holding it inert, and allowing the lever I-I to becontrolled by its gentle spring I and caused to engage with the pin D2and thus with the hook D, D and hold it so long as the coupling-headsare together. This condition is changed when the cars are drawn apart.After the points of the hooks D' of the respective couplings have passedeach other in the separating movement, each short arm B2 being drawnaway liberates the spring M of the opposite coupling and allows it toassume its bent condition, and through its arm I and pin P to compel thelever H of the opposite couplingr to turn in opposition to the force ofits spring I and disengage its catch lrl' and set the corresponding hookD, D', free, and such hook consequently moves promptly inward. It is nowready to serve again in coupling, and so on indefinitely. It will beseen that the moving of the cars apart under these conditions will havethe effect to disengage the catch Il' and allow the hook D, D', to moveinward in obedience to the force of its spring F. But this will not takeplace until after the points of the hooks D' have passed each other sothat there is no engagement at this period, but the parts are sct freeready to engage the next time they are brought together. The long arm B'of each housingis provided with a stout plate B1 at the top and bottomwhich affords great strength to the arm notwithstanding the deep cavityorpocket b' therein. Each hook D, D', has an arm or horn D"l reachingupward, which is acted on by the oblique edge of the plate BAl of theopposite coupling-head so as not to interfere with the uncoupling whenthe hook D, D', of the opposite coupling is drawn outward.

I have shown each hook D, D', as drawn outward by a flexible cord orwire rope K extending partly around a pulley J carried on the outer faceof the long arm B', and lcd from thence upward. L is a lever pivoted onthe end of the car at l, and provided with an operating handle by whichthe rope K can be forcibly pulled upward by an attendant standing on theground and reaching up to this handle. The rope is continued up to thetop of the car and is attached to another operating lever L which can beconveniently operated by a person on the car. Instead of a lever at thispoint or either point, the rope may be pulled directly, if preferred.

lt will now be understood that thelong arin lB of each coupling-head isreceived in a corresponding space between the similar arms in theopposite coupling-head and serves to insure the correct position of thecenters of the hooks D, D', underall conditions. These hooks whenallowed to engage are always held by the arms B', B2, of theirrespective housings in the positionvwhich is favorable for resisting thestrain, and for serving as efficient couplings in haulingthe cars. NVhenit is desired to uncouple and the tension on the coupling is relaxed,either hook D, D', may be drawn outward by the attendant acting throughthe proper wire rope K, and so soon as it is sufficiently moved outwardits pin D`- engages with the catch I-l' and holds the hook out of thepath of the corresponding hook of the opposite coupling. This conditionobtains because the spring M is restrained by the presence of the shortarm B2 of the op- IOO posite coupling. So soon as the cars are drawnapart a little, the short arm B2'of one coupling-head by moving awayreleasesV the spring M of the opposite coupling, and consequently thecatch-lever of such opposite coupling, and 'turns the latter in thedirection to disengage the catch H. This liberates the hook D, D', andit is moved promptly inward by its springF and is thereafter in positionto again serve in coupling the cars together.

I claim as my inventionl. The hook D, D', subject to the influence of aspring F and mounted pivotally by means of the pin E in a casing orhead, having the long arm B' and' short arm B2` attached to the carwithliberty'to turn laterally on such pin to a small extent, and withmeans as the rope K and operating levers L and L for drawing the hookout of use when required, all substantially-as herein specified.

2. The hook D,D, subject to the influence of a spring F, and mountedpivotally in a casing or head, having the long arm B and short arm B2attached to the car by a pivot or pin C with liberty to turn laterallyto a small extent, and with means as the rope K and operating levers Land L' for drawing the hook out of use when required, and with thespringcatch I-I' and the pin D2 on the hook D, D', to hold such hook inthe outward position when required, as herein specied.

3. The hook D, D', subject to the influence i of a spring F, and mountedpivotally in a casand'L for drawing the hook out of use when g it isdesired to uncouple, and with the spring- `catch H engaging with a pinD2 on the hook D, D', to hold the latter in the outward position whenrequired, and with means as the spring M liberated bythe removal of theshort arm B2 for automatically detaching such catch when the lhooks D,D', have moved beyond the position to engage, all substantially as andfor the purposes herein specified.

4. The automatic coupler described, having the hook D, D', turning on apin E, in combination with the spring F and with the head B having along arm B' and short arm B2, and with the draw-bar A and pin 0 allowinglateral motion, and with the spring-catch H and means as the spring M,arm P and pin P' working in the slot h2 controlled by the arm B2 of theopposite coupling for automatically dsengaging it when the cars aremoved apart, all combined and arranged for joint operation substantiallyas herein specified.4

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I afx mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

W. H. ROBINSON.

